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Comment by 6stringmerc | Hacker News Reader

Prince was also big into the 432 Hz thing vs. 440. 432 on guitar feels a little nicer overall but I like to play along to radio / DJ mixes for fun & practice and being at 432 feels off to me, so I stick with 440. 432 is good on acoustic, but then again open tuning sounds good on acoustic no matter if using 432 or 440.

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I like playing bass tuned slightly flat because I have tiny hands and it's easier to play with less tension.

I recently switched to nylon wrapped strings... they also have lower tension. But I mostly did it because I play a lot of americana / folk / rockabilly / blues / jazz and wanted a better slap sound.

Unfortunately they sound terrible arco so now I have to play cello when I play in my wife's orchestra. :(

[edit] it occurs to me that you're talking about electric bass... in which case nylon strings would be a bit strange ;) sorry about that.

> in which case nylon strings would be a bit strange ;)

Not at all, there are nylon wrapped strings for electric now too! [1]

[1] http://www.daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&...

I was talking about electric. But thanks for reminding me to play my upright now and then! Poor thing needs some TLC... and a much lower bridge.

Like the article says, just getting lighter gauge strings is just as easy and keeps you in tune. I play guitar, and the Ernie Ball Slinkys work well for me.

Fair, although this is something I discovered mostly through picking up and playing my bass without bothering to tune it, or than something I do on purpose.

If electric bass (or maybe even if not) try Thomastik-Infeld strings, especially the flatwound strings.

Never heard of this brand. DR has been my go-to for years and recently gave Rotosound a try after going on a Yes bender. Thanks for the tip.

All of their strings are fairly mellow sounding. If Rotosound/Yes is your style, you might not like the Thomastik sound. But they are very low-tension and flexible!

Neat! I can understand. Also like how some guitarists who sing prefer to tune to Eb. I think it's more of a sonic fit for some registers.

I've always wanted to play heavy strings, so I also explored tuning down. Imagine my surprise seeing what Dimebag Darrell was tuning to for "Floods" on 'Great Southern Trendkill' - C# F# B E G# C. I had trouble getting intonation that worked well for me, so I went ahead and got a Les Paul style Baritone. Definitely a workout, and the opposite of going lighter, but I really dig the tone it puts out. Worth the hand cramps to practice on the 27" scale.

Prince also believed in chemtrails, there's youtube videos of him talking about them. He comes off as a massive tinfoil hat-wearer.

I'd definitely be more inclined to trust in his musical intuition than his scientific aptitude though.

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